July 19, 2007

Today was one of our later starts, since the walking tour didn't start until 9am. Once we meet up with our local tour guide, whose name escapes me right now, we began taking in the incredible sights of Florence. She gave a great look into the history of various parts of the city, and pointed out the many replica David statues, explaining how you can not visit Florence without gazing upon the original at the Accademia di Belle Arti.

On the course of our walk we made a stop at the Duomo, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore , amazing architecture. The dome's innovative designs was a true feat, with its octagonal design, double walls, and resting on a drum and not on the roof itself. All of this allowed for the entire dome to be built without the need for scaffolding from the ground, no small achievement for something weighing nearly 37,000 tons. There was also a free-standing bell tower, Giotto’s Campanile , in the Piazza del Duomo available to climb and get a view of the city, but there is such a long line for it, I didn't have the time to come back. Anyone up for a trip to Florence again? Before I proceed with the rest of the day, I should back track a little and mention that when we first arrived at the cathedral there was a short line, and a lady who nonchalantly tried to cut in front of us. Which in of itself isn't very funny, but when the local tour guide notice she proceeded to scold the woman in not one, not two, but three different languages, of which the lady seemed to understand none.

After our little tour we headed down to Piazza della Signoria and split off into our little groups, and my group decided a little shopping was in order. We ventured off to the pig market, a 16th century open air market at the corner of Via Porta Rossa and Via Por Santa Maria. The market was named for a fountain with a wild board statue; I learned later on. Wandering around the narrow isles filled with jewelry, clothes, leather goods, and even straw hats, I was enjoying the atmosphere and the shade. I even found some nice chess sets for 65-95 euro. After my fill of the market, I noticed a little book store on a nearby street corner and thought I would take a quick see while everyone else was still shopping. My Italian was not very good, but I did find the Da Vinci Code in Italian. The cashier, thought it was a little odd I wanted a copy in Italian, but I'll be able to read it all one day.  After my side excusion, I meet back up with the group at the market.  

The whole group meet for a tour of Leonardo's Leather Works, before having the remainder of the day free to explore. The shop was full of impressive displays of leatherworking craftsmanship. Our first step of the tour included a explanation of how they made leather boxes as hard as wood. As the tour came to an end, we found ourselves in the souviner shop. I decided to expaned beyond my standard t-shirt and photo souvineers, and go for a bookmark with an old Mecator map on it.

Now on the Accademia to see the David. Our small group got in line about 2:10, and found out a few hours later, group tours can be reserved to avoid standing in line in the sweltering heat. At some point in our waiting, taking turns standing in the shade since the line had very littler shade, I noticed another tourist who used a little origami to turn his map into a nice hat, very MacGyver. As 5:40 rolls around we finally make it through the doors. I was disappointed photos were 'not' allowed, but the staute was worth the wait, a true masterpiece. The rest of the gallery was certianly worth seeing as well.

My recolection of the exact time escape me, but lunch was at a sports bar we came across during out walk. At first you would assume it was a typicall sports bar with wooden booths and a few tvs around, but then you notice the menu. The menu itself is fairly normal, but the 102oz drink on the menu is a little daunting. Over the course of the meal we tallked a little tv: house, simpsons, futurama, and MacGyver.(Justin, Allyah)

Rounding out the day was a delightful dinner at McD's. While not my favorite dining establishment, it did the job after a long day of walking and waiting.